This book is an excellent collection of advanced research in heterogeneous catalysis and related disciplines - surface science, metallic organic catalysis, and enzymatic catalysis. In 23 chapters by observable experts, the volume illustrates the various approaches using model systems and their success in understanding heterogeneous catalysts, both metal and metal oxide catalysts in single crystal catalysts and nanoparticles. To truly appreciate the remarkable progress of modern heterogeneous catalysts, let us first consider the subject from a historical perspective.

The heterogeneous stimulus began its beginnings in England and France with the work of scientists such as Humphrey Davy (1778-1829), Michael Faraday (1791-1867), and Paul Sabatier (1854-1941). Spatier assumes that surface compounds, as is common to most chemists, are intermediate species that lead to catalytic products.

For example, Sabatier suggested that the neuthenium cracks on the surface of Ni-2 were capable of hydrogenation of the ethylene, while NiH was not. In the United States, Irving Langmuir concluded that surface species of chemists are chemically linked to surfaces and do not resemble known molecules.

These types of chemists were active participants in catalysis. The equilibrium between the gas phase molecules and chemically mixed mixtures (resulting from isotropic absorption) produced the monolayer by the simple site-filling kinetics.